Staple remover



F. R. cum-15s STAPLE REIOVER Dec. 2, 1947.

Filed June 19, 1944 l/ a p a Patented Dec. 2, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE STAPLE REMOVER Frank B. Curtiss, New Haven, Conn.

Application June '19, 1944, Serial No. 541,109

7 Claims.

This invention relates tto-new and useful improvements in stapleremoversrand has pa l relation to a hand device for use in removingstaples from papers, drawing boards, packing cases, and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a manually operable device ofthe character indicated which .may easily and conveniently be used forthe removal of clinched or unclinched staples without causing tearing ormutilation of the paper orthe like to or throu-gh which the staple mayhave been applied.

Another object is to provide a staple remover adapted, withoutadjustment or modification, for the removal of staples of various sizes,i. e., staples of various crown widths.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent froma consideration of the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing wherein a satisfactoryembodiment of the invention is shown. However, it :is to be understoodthat the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includesall such variations and modifications as fall Within the spirit of theinvention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view showing the staple remover of theinvention when not in use;

Fig. 2 is .an elevational view looking into the open side of one arm ofthe device;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but of the other arm of the device;

.Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken as along the line 4-.4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the device, the view suggesting amanner of use;

.Fig. 6 is .a transverse sectional view taken as along :the plane of theline 6-5 of Fig. 5 but showing the parts .a step further along in theremoval of astaple; and

Fig. 7 is :a. view similar 'to'Fig. 4 but showing a modification.

Referring in :detailto the drawing my improved staple remover is shownas including a pair of arms designated, respectively, a first arm illand a second arm 2| I. These arms .are of channel construction .orU-shaped in transverse section whereby arm 10 includes side walls 12 andi3 spaced apart a distance .such that arm 'I I, which includes sidewalls [4 and 1:5,, may enter between them.

:The outer n1- :npner end portion of arm H is received between thesidewalls of the outer or upper end portion of the arm 11) and a rivetor similar means 16 serves to connect the armsior pivotal movements oftheir inner end portions toward and from one another. About pivot L6 isa coil spring In! having its free end portions 18 and i9 against theinner sides of the connecting or back wall portions of the arms In andH, respectively, whereby to constantly urge the arms in directions tocarry their inner end portions away from .oneanother.

,At their inner ends each side wall of .arm H is provided with .a notch20 opening through its edge toward the arm IB. These notches are in suchrelation to the inner end of arm II that their lower or inner edges areofa thickness less than the radius of a staple crown to be removedwhereby during use of the device the inner ends oithe arm i I will catchunder a staple crown and not ride up over it. Further, during use of thedevice the upper sides .or edges :of the notches 2B are against theupper side of the crown of the staple being removed and thus, engaging.said crown at spaced points, prevent it bulging upwardly.

A pair of flanges 12.! and .22 are :formed at the inner ends of arm [0and these flanges extend forwardly of said arm and also laterallyoutwardly from its respective side walls l2 and t3. The forwardlyprojecting portions of the flanges 2| :and 22 are spaced'apart adistance such that their inner edges 23 are at least substantially flushwith the inner surfaces of the walls 12 and L3 providing a passage 24 ofa width to receive the lower or inner end portion of arm H when the twoarms I10 .and II are forced toward one another.

Flanges '21 and 22 are substantially pointed at their forward ends sincethey are cut away at their under sides toward such ends as at 25(Fig. 1) and their outer edges diverge from their forward ends. Thus theover-all distance between the outer edges of the two flanges increasesas we move back from their forward or pointed ends.

These forward ends of the flanges are to be introduced under the crownof a staple to be removed and thus at their points or 'free ends aremade of a thicknessless than the radius of the wire of the staple to heremoved so as to enter under the crown of the staple and not ride overit.

As seen in Fig. 4 the outer edges of the flanges are curved so that suchedges diverge on curved or arcuate lines while in the modification ofFig. '2 the outer edges of the corresponding :flanges 21a and 22adiverge in straight lines. Except for this slight modification thedevice of Fig. 7

is the same as that of the other figures and its 3 parts have been giventhe same reference characters as the corresponding parts in such otherfigures.

The forwardly and laterally extending flanges 2| and 22 (and alsoflanges 2 la and 22a) are longitudinally curved or arcuate as are theinner end portions of the side walls of the arm II. This curvature, assuggested by the broken line A in Fig. l is on a radius having the pivotI6 as its center or axis. This structure makes it easier to pick up thecrown of a driven staple with the notches 20 and the substantiallypointed ends of the flanges when such staple is to be removed from anobject.

When using the device the pointed ends of the flanges 2| and 22 may beinserted under the crown of the staple to be removed and then when thearm II is swung toward the arm ID the notches 20 of the arm I I will bebrought into engagement with the staple crown. Since the lower sides ofthe notches are thin, as above set forth, they will engage under thecenter line of the staple crown or below the widest part thereof andfirmly grasp the staple crown and not ride up over it as they likelywould if the said arm portions were so thick as to engage above thecenter line of the staple crown.

With the staple crown engaged as described the arms I and I I are forcedor squeezed toward one another. Before any rear pressure is applied theflanges 2| and 22 will have entered under the staple crown a distancedepending on the width of such crown and the outer edges of the flangeswill be in engagement with the inner sides of the staple legsimmediately adjacent the crown as suggested by the staple legs 26 inFig. 4. Now as the pressure is applied there is a tendency to force theflanges further under the crown of the staple and to force the crowntoward the arm I0 as suggested in connection with the staple 21 in Fig.6.

The result is that the staple crown is distorted and that the legs ofthe staple are dragged up over the outer edges of the flanges 2| and 22and this results in or from a partial straightening of the legs. Theirclinched under portions are prevented from tearing upwardly through thepaper since the undersides of the flanges are against th top side of thepaper and over the clinched portions of the staple legs. Thus as thecrown of the staple is dragged back over the flanges and the latterfurther enter under the staple crown the legs of the staple while beingpulled over the outer edges of the flanges are somewhat spread.

Since the laterally extending flanges are of increasing width beginningat their forward ends they cannot simply pass under the staple crown butmust engage the legs of the staple and the relative positions of theparts may be changed as from the full line position of staple legs 26 ofFig. 4 to the dotted line positions of such legs in said figure. It ispointed out that since the flanges increase in over-all width asdescribed and shown the device of the invention is adapted for theremoval of staples of various sizes. No adjustments of the device arenecessary for this purpose since the forward ends of the flanges merelyenter freely under the staple crown a distance depending on the staplesize, that is, the Width of the staple crown.

Clearly instead of engaging the flanges under the staple crown as abovedescribed and then bringing the arm II into play the operator mayposition the arm II to have its notches receiving the staple crown, asin Fig. 5, and then may swing the arm I0 toward the arm I I and theforward ends of the flanges will enter under the staple crown. Thesubsequent action will be as above described. It is noted that the armII engages the staple crown at a pair of spaced points so that thedevice is not likely to twist in the operator's hand as pressure isapplied in removing a staple. Since the upper edges of the notches 20engage the staple crown the latter is prevented from merely yielding orbulging upwardly when the withdrawing or removal pressure is applied toit.

To provide for better gripping of the device each of the arms In and I Iis provided with a pair of laterally extending wings 28. These wings areformed by lancing portions from the side walls of the arm approximatelymidway the ends of the latter and pressing such lanced portionsoutwardly to extend at or substantially at right angles to said sidewalls of the arms. The lancing is such as to leave portions of the sidewalls to connect the wings with the back portions of the arms whereby tonot unduly weaken the arms. Preferably the lancing is done at an angleother than normal to the inner edges of the arms whereby the wings 28extend in a sort of flare and impart a modern appearance to the device.These wings broaden the area which may be pressed when forcing the armstoward one another during removal of a staple.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a staple remover, first and second arms pivoted for movements oftheir inner end portions toward and from one another, a pair of flangeson the inner end of the first arm and extending forwardly and laterallythereof, said flanges spaced apart laterally a distance to permit ofreception of the inner end portion of the second arm between them, saidflanges substantially pointed at their forward ends for insertion underthe crown of a staple and rearwardly of said ends gradually increasingin over-all width in directions laterally of the first arm, said secondarm toward its inner end substantially U-shaped in transverse section toengage at two points the crown of a staple under which the forward endsof said flanges are inserted to cause the legs of the staple to bespread across the outer edges of said flanges and the staple to beremoved on relative movements of said arms in directions toward oneanother, and said second arm having a notch in each of its staple crownengaging portions to receive the crown of the staple and prevent thesame bulging upwardly during the described relative movements of saidarms.

2. In a staple remover, first and second arms pivoted for movement oftheir inner end portions toward and from one another, said second arm atits inner end including laterally spaced walls each having a notchadapted to-receive a portion of a staple crown, flanges on the inner endof the first arm and extending forwardly and laterally thereof and ofgradually increasing overall width laterally from their forward ends,said flanges adapted to have their forward ends inserted under the crownof a staple, and said device on relative movements of said arms towardone another adapted to then spread the legs of a staple over saidflanges and withdraw the staple from an object.

3. In a staple remover, a pair of pivotally connected arms, spring meansnormally tending to rock said arms to carry their inner ends away fromone another, one of said arms transversely U-shaped in its portiontoward its inner end, said arms of such relative sizes that the otherarm may move inwardly between the walls of said U-shaped portion, saidother arm notched toward its inner end to receive a portion of the crownof a staple, a laterally and forwardly extending flange on the inner endof each wall of said transversely U-shaped portion of said one of saidarms, said flanges substantially pointed at their forward ends to enterunder the crown of a driven staple, said flanges having their inneredges spaced apart at least the distance between the inner surfaces ofsaid side walls of said transversely U-shaped portion for relativetelescopic movements of the said other arm, and said flanges havingtheir outer edges diverging from their forward ends whereby the flangesare of increasing over-all width from their forward ends.

4. In a staple remover, first and second arms pivoted for movement oftheir inner end portions toward and from one another, said second arm atits inner end having a recess opening through its forward side toreceive a portion of a staple crown, a flange on the inner end of thefirst arm and extending forwardly and laterally thereof and of graduallyincreasing over-all width laterally from its forward end, said flangeadapted to have its forward end inserted under the crown of a staple,and said device on relative movements of said arms toward one anotheradapted to then spread the legs of a staple over said flange andwithdraw the staple from an object.-

5. In a staple remover, first and second arms pivoted for movement oftheir inner end portions toward and from one another, said second arm atits inner end having a recess opening through its forward side toreceive a portion of a staple crown, a pair of forwardly extendingflanges on the inner end of the first arm and spaced apart and adaptedto have their forward ends inserted under the crown of the staple, andsaid device on relative movement of said arms toward one another and thestaple adapted to withdraw the latter from an object.

6. In a staple remover, first and second arms pivoted for movement oftheir inner end portions toward and from one another, said second arm atits inner end having a recess opening through its forward side toreceive a portion of a staple crown, flanges on the inner end of thefirst arm and extending forwardly and laterally thereof and of graduallyincreasing over-all width laterally from their forward ends, saidflanges adapted to have their forward ends inserted under the crown of astaple, and said device on relative movements of said arms toward oneanother adapted to then spread the legs of a staple over said flangesand withdraw the staple from an object.

'7. In a staple remover, first and second arms pivoted for movement ofthe inner end portions toward and from one another, said second arm atits inner end having a recess opening through its forward side toreceive a portion of a staple crown, a pair of forwardly extendingflanges on the inner end of the first arm and adapted to have theirforward ends inserted under the crown of the staple, said flanges spacedapart laterally a, distance to permit of movement of the inner endportion of the second arm between said flanges, and said second arm of alength to have its inner end portion move between said flanges when theinner end portions of the arms are moved toward one another.

FRANK R. CURTISS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the

